Dialing in to what you really want will keep you Zen.

There’s a lot going on. 

I have a bit of shopping left to do and a Christmas dinner to plan. The trees are up, but the wrapping needs doing, and the cards are still sitting on my nightstand.  The kids are coming home this week.

Oh, and you may remember, I’m moving, and the closing is just a few weeks away.(If you missed my post on balance in a busy life, you can find it here: How Much are You Juggling Right Now?)

And there are a couple of problems.  Problems with the house I’m selling, problems with the house I want to buy. 

Really

Expensive 

Problems

There’s quite a bit going on at work as well.  The first cohort of Camp Reinvention launches on January 1st and Dana and I are working around the clock, fine tuning and cranking out some amazing content. (There’s one spot left in the cohort BTW – reach out if you want it.)

My new podcast, A Glimpse Inside – which I’m just starting to get comfortable doing– is going to a weekly format, which doubles the load. And my digital course series, How To Get Your Sh*t Together, is months past its original launch date and finally coming together next month as well.

Add on year-end administrative tasks, ridiculous college tuition…you get it.

I won’t lie and tell you that mindfulness has completely kept me from being stressed out.  I’m definitely firing all burners at once right now, and of course I feel the weight of it.

Here’s what I can tell you…in spite of everything going on right now:

I sleep at night.
I don’t have a stomachache – at all.
I’ve enjoyed every minute of my work AND my holiday prep.

And that, I completely attribute to my Mindfulness Practice.

Here’s how you can stay present and enjoy your life, even when things get kooky.

This Week:   Inner Peace Comes from Clarity

First, it’s important to note that it’s literally the practice that makes this possible.  That means, all day – every day – training your mind to pay attention to what you’re choosing (usually what’s right in front of you) rather than all of those swirling, spiraling stories about what happened in the past or what might happen in the future.

You do this by noticing each distracting thought without judging it and directing your attention to what is actually present with you in the moment.  

The more you do it, the better your ability to focus, even when things are chaotic.

NOW, you’re ready for Mindfulness 2.0 – CLARITY
When you’re really in the thick of it, even refocusing onto what’s in front of you can feel stressful, because chances are, it’s part of what’s causing you to stress.

Here’s where being crystal clear on what you really want is uber important.  This is also referred to as detaching from the outcome.

In my example, you may think I want my new launches to be successful – that I want my house to close on time, that I want to move into the house that I have my heart set on and that I want to have a beautiful Norman Rockwell Christmas with my family.

Of course, I would like those things, but if I thought that those were what I really wanted – if I were attached to those specific things – I wouldn’t be sleeping, no matter how much I meditated.

I sleep because I’m CLEAR that what I actually want is:

·     To continually cultivate and fully enjoy the relationships in my life.
·     To do work that feels meaningful and makes people’s lives better.
·     To continue to earn a living that provides my family with freedom, and ease.
·     To live in a place that I love.

With this clarity, there is no need to attach to a particular outcome, as there are infinite ways to get there.  And those of you who know me know, I always get there.

To weather the roller coasters in your life:

1.     Practice Mindfulness every day.
2.     Get clear on what you really want.
3.     Take intentional action every day.